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Arts & Entertainment

Flat-Bottom Odyssey and Other Geneva Tales of the '30s and '40s Nov. 3 at Geneva History Center

The 1930s and 1940s were times that represented many changes in the United States with the Great Depression and WWII. Geneva was not isolated from these events. Join us for a roundtable discussion at 7p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, with some of our most seasoned Genevans. They will share their stories with you about what it was like growing up in Geneva during the Great Depression and WW II. Gene Jaeger will be available to sign his book, Flat-Bottom Odyssey.

This program will take place in the Community Room at the Geneva History Center, 113 South Third St. in the heart of Geneva's .  Cost is $5 for adults, $3 for GHC members and students. For more information, contact the History Center at 630-232-4951.

Please come, if you can. I'm going to try to split time between the History Center and the  at  

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Here's a review of the book, as published on Amazon, written by Genevan John E. "Jack" Hoelscher:

"I recently finished Gene Jaeger's book Flat-Bottom Odyssey, from North Africa to D-Day. The book chronicles Gene's experiences in WWII as a young 22-year-old recent college graduate and newly commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy assigned to LST 400.

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"I couldn't put the book down. I became fascinated with the adventures, descriptions, details and incidents of navy life and combat. Somehow the book allowed me to relate to the incidents and events of this time in way that I had not been able to before. The simple and honest prose Gene uses in the book is beautiful. Gene writes of his own unique experience, but does so in a way that communicates the universality of his experience to that of millions of others who served in a similar ways during 'the war.'

"Gene's words give definition to the term 'citizen soldier.' This book exudes the traits of character we all admire and hope we have: duty, courage, compassion, fairness, humor, competency, sensitivity, tenacity, love and family but does so without using those words or preaching about them.

"This book makes me grateful to those who serve and proud to be an American, proud of the military, proud to be from Geneva and especially proud to know Gene Jaeger."

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